Balance: Renegades of Light and Dark
by Devlin Ross
Summary: Balance. The idea that Light cannot exist without Dark. A belief held by those who worship eco. Jak meets one of these people in the Baron's prison, who is being used for the Light Warrior Project. While fighting the Baron's tyranny, they struggle to keep their balance as madness slowly creeps up on them. Rated T for violence and swearing.
1. Prologue-Prison

**A/N:**

**Hello there world! I don't have much to say, just that I don't own Jak and Daxter, their characters...ect...ect...**

**I do however own Karin, the Ecolites and Eve. **

**Many thanks to LiveOutLoud143 for providing inspiration and reading it beforehand. (P.S. You should check out her story.)**

**So, please Read and Review!**

* * *

The Krimson Guards dragged Jak through the prison. Green light cast a sickly hue on everything. Taking a breath through the mouth made one taste blood.

A giant pillar was in the middle of the room. Surrounding it like an altar were many cells, over two-hundred stacked on ten different floors and all pointed inward towards the pillar. Up each floor they went, passing sobbing, screaming, and death threats through the tiny, barred windows. Every single cell was uniform. Made of steel, a small window in the middle to provide fresh air. Nothing distinguished them from one another. No numbers to identify those inside. Once you were in the Baron's prison, being forgotten was all too likely of a possibility. As they passed one cell, one guard wrinkled his nose and said, "You'd think that they'd check in every few days." But they continued upwards.

Finally, they came to the sixth floor, even with the pillar. Although there were twenty cells on each floor, only ten had been occupied at one point on the sixth floor. Two still had living occupants.

"Another one?" Barely heard, the voice came out of the cell they just passed. Hands discolored by black markings grabbed the bar doors."The Baron should pray that no one survives." Hacking coughs echoed through the cell. "Or they'll be out for blood..."

They ignored the voice and came to a stop in front of a cell. The door opened and they tossed him in there. Jak landed face-first onto the ground an moaned softly. The door slid shut, sending the room into darkness except a small square of green light. The guards left to patrol the prison, thinking that the boy was alone. However, they hadn't noticed that someone had been hiding on the wall next to the door.

The person crouched and examined Jak. The light fell on them, revealing unkempt brown hair and a feminine figure. She turned Jak around, supporting his head and neck as she did so. A quiet whistle came from her as she saw a bump on his head. That must have hurt. Hesitating, she put a finger on the bump.

Jak groaned and his eyes fluttered open. When he focused, he saw warm, brown eyes staring at him. He jerked his head up in surprise and he felt his goggles clip the owner.

"Ow! Dammit!"she said and held her nose. He scrambled back as she grimaced. His back hit against the back wall and he quickly stood up. Immediately, he felt dizzy and sick to his stomach. He slid against the wall and sat down, but his eyes never left the girl. She was slender, though looked a little too skinny to have been fed well. She looked around sixteen, just a little bit older than he was and was just a bit taller than him. As the light illuminated her face, he saw a tattoo creating a mask around her eyes. It was created with fine, yellow lines that twisted and curved around themselves.

Seeing how he looked at her, she put her hands out in front of her.

"Easy blondie," she said. "I won't hurt you." As if to prove her point, she inched towards the corner farthest away from him. There she sat and occasionally dabbed at her nose.

For a long time, they watched each other in silence. The girl started to trace the lines of the tattoo on her face. Her brow was furrowed and her lips were in a small frown.

"You know, "she said, breaking the silence. "Most people would have said, 'Hello' by now. Even if you don't like what I am, we're cellmates and you're going to have to get over it eventually."

He frowned at her choice of words. What she was? He studied her. She seemed normal. And very unlikely to attack him. Jak gave her a polite wave and she returned it with a grin.

"I'm Karin. It's nice to meet you..." Karin looked at him expectantly.

What the heck, he thought and opened his mouth to _try_ and say his name. But as usual, nothing came out. He sighed and noticed that there was a thin layer of dust near him. So he drew in the dust, J-A-K.

"Can you talk, Jak?"

He shook his head and as he did so, something flickered in her eyes. She started to trace her tattoo again as she thought. Finally, she smiled.

"You know what? I think we'll get along."

* * *

A day had barely passed when they came. He had recognized the man who'd had cornered him and guards had to restrain him from getting at him. But a woman he didn't recognize came as well.

The woman had curly, red hair that was tied back into a neat bun. Like the man, she had dark blue markings on her face. She dressed in dark-green pants and a skin-tight half shirt in the same color. Red armor covered her shins, forearms and upper arms. Strapped to her legs were two pistol holders and a strangely shaped scabbard on her hip.

Karin made a strangled sound and leaped towards the woman. Quickly she was subdued. The woman, not seeming to care, gave Jak a once-over and sighed.

"He's so young,"she said and her emerald eyes looked at him with pity.

Her gaze turned to Karin, who was being restrained by more guards from getting at the woman. Karin's face was twisted with rage. She consistently tried to throw the guards off and looked ready to kill.

"How dare you!" she finally managed to get out and the woman gave her a cold look. "Only the royal family can wield the blades!"

She spat right in the woman's eye. Time seemed to freeze. The woman and Karin had a staring contest before she wiped the spit from her eye. Very quietly, she said, "The heathen goes first. Our benefactor doesn't want to be kept waiting."

They dragged Karin out and the door slid shut. Jak rushed to the bars and watched her.

Karin was quickly strapped into a chair below a sinister machine. The woman and the man watched along with a hooded figure with the hood pulled down low over the face. The figure gave a curt nod and the machine turned on.

White lightning started to arc over her body. For a few seconds, Karin was silent. Finally, she let out a blood-curdling scream. It was the sound of a cornered animal who couldn't escape or fight and it made the hairs on Jak's body stand up.

His stomach clenched when he saw white lightning arc over her body. Once he saw it, he knew immediately that it was Light Eco. Questions ran through his head. Where had they gotten this much of it? And why were they using it to cause pain? He covered his ears as her screeches rebounded around in the cell and in his head.

xxx

Twenty minutes passed before the lightning stopped and Karin fell silent. The hooded figure walked around the chair that Karin was strapped in. In a voice too low to be heard, they spoke to the other two.

"Yes. This heathen is one of five to have been chosen for the Light Warrior Project six months ago," said the woman. She frowned and gave Karin a look of barely concealed contempt. "Surprisingly, she is the only survivor."

The man raised an eyebrow. "You shouldn't be so surprised, Eve. Everyone knows that Ecolites have a special relationship with Eco." His eyes traveled to the scabbard that the woman had on her waist. "For one who has so much contempt for the group, you certainly treasure that weapon of their making."

Eve scoffed. "They merely claim that Eco is alive and worship it. I wouldn't call that a special relationship, Erol." She unsheathed the sword and let the light catch it. It curved in an s-shape and seemed to be made of a clear, almost glass like material. "And this is a trophy. One day, I will have the other one and finally have a matching pair." She smirked and sheathed it again. "You should see the looks on their faces when I walk through public. It's amusing to see the look on their faces when they know they can't do anything."

She fell silent as the hooded figure made one more circle around the chair before leaving.

Erol signaled to the guards and they unstrapped Karin. Her head fell limply to side to side as they dragged her back. Eve and Erol stayed back by the chair.

Jak backed away as they got closer to the door. It slid open and they threw her in. He caught her in his arms and was relieved to hear breathing.

Hands roughly grabbed him and pulled him out. He was marched to the chair and it was his turn to be strapped in. The metal felt cold against his skin and he tugged at the metal restraints keeping him there. However, the machine turned on, and he felt something tear through his body. He screamed, from the pain and the horror of what was coursing through his body.

Dark Eco.

xxx

Jak groaned. He was back in the cell, sitting against the wall and Karin was watching him. He was surprised to see that she was also sitting up against the wall across from him, though every time she moved, she groaned and her eyes were filled with pain. But he felt too weak to show any kind of reaction. So they sat there in silence.

"Jak...," she said. He looked up at her, thinking that she was going to say something serious. "I don't think there's enough dust for us to continue with a conversation."

He raised an eyebrow before looking around. She was right. Their movement to their respective corners had wiped away the thin layer of dust that was on the floor. The means of the communication that he had used to write his name was gone. He sighed and nodded.

"Do you know sign language?" Jak put his hand in the air and grimaced. It most of his strength to tilt it side to side. His uncle had tried to teach him, but he had never needed to learn it. Daxter usually talked for him.

"Really? Do you remember any of it?"

He shook his head.

"...Would you like me to teach you?"

A grin slowly came across his face.

Karin grinned and said, "Later though. I can't move my arms..."

* * *

Learning sign language was difficult, but Jak mastered it quickly. Having hours upon hours available to learn helped as well as a strict, yet patient teacher. Karin rarely spoke aloud while teaching him. And when she did, it was to tell the meaning of a word.

_It's better_, she signed when he asked why._ because then you have to use it constantly and pick up new words._

Of course with the "treatments" there were moments where neither of them could move. Yet he had mastered it within a month.

"Well Jak," she said aloud, surprising him. "there probably isn't anymore that I can teach you."

_You're sure?_

She snorted. "Of course I am! You picked it up quickly for someone who said they forgot it all." He grinned and held up his hands as she gave him a suspicious look, but was still smiling.

_I did learn a little from my uncle back in Sandover, but I swear I forgot most of it. _He hesitated. Ever since he heard Erol call her an Ecolite, he'd wondered what that was. _Do you mind if I ask why you're called an Ecolite?_

The smile faded and she looked away. For a long time, she didn't speak. Jak was worried he'd crossed a line. Reaching out, he touched her shoulder. _ Did I say something wrong?_ he asked her.

"No, it's just that I've never had to explain it." She sighed and said, "Let me tell you a story."

"Once there was a tribe of people. They loved Eco in all its forms. They'd realized that eco wasn't just a tool. No. It was alive. Every color had it's own personality. They decided to honor all the personalities as deities, for eco is the life-blood of the world. Touched by this, the deities taught the tribe secrets to defend against Metal-Head attacks.

"The queen and king of the tribe caught wind of an enemy they had no chance of defeating. The two organized their tribe and fled, mourning those who had stayed behind to allow escape. They contacted the ruler of another city. Describing their plight, the ruler welcomed them with open arms. He allowed them to build their own place in the city. To show their thanks, they gifted the ruler with a sacred sword similar to their own and built a shrine to the Precursors in their temple.

"Although some didn't like the tribe and their beliefs, both sets of people benefited from the new arrangement. The tribe had protection. The ruler of the city had people who were happy to share new information about Eco for their fight against the Metal Heads. Everyone thought peace would last."

She scoffed and her hands turned into fists.

"How naive. A baron craved power but he couldn't do anything. That is, until the heir to the city disappeared. The Baron raided the Palace and threatened to kill the heir unless the ruler left. What could the ruler do? He left, but he still didn't get his son back."

Her voice cracked. "The tribe tried to help. The queen, at the Palace during the moment the Baron attacked, fought side-by-side with the ruler. She died protecting the ruler and some...some...someone chopped off her head with her own sword. As the Baron fought for control, those who disliked the tribe slaughtered 2,000 people...300 died of later wounds..." She took a deep, shuddering breath and stopped.

Jak touched her shoulder and gave a shake of his head. _You don't have to go on._

"Thanks." She wiped her eyes. "Remembering that day...It hurts..."

_Was Eve the one who did it? _he signed. Karin nodded her head.

"Yes. And she carries that sword and wants the pair...There are two, one for the ruler and their partner." As an afterthought, she added, "Three if you count the one given to Damos, the former ruler of the city. It's a sign of power. The right to rule." Her eyes blazed. "No one should touch them except the rightful ruler."

Jak felt disgusted. What kind of world did he arrive in where people did that? Just because of what someone believed? He vowed to be open-minded and asked her, _Your deities. Tell me about them please._

Karen gave a small smile but her eyes were frightened. Frightened that Jak would push her away once he knew.

_Please. It may be a little weird to me, but I won't hate you or your people._

Her smiled widened and the fear disappeared_._ "Okay. Where do I begin?" She started to trace the tattoo on her face; a habit she had when she was thinking.

_Does your tattoo have anything to do with it?_

"Yes, actually." She smiled sheepishly and her hand dropped. "I can't believe I didn't think of it. My tattoo represents Yex, the deity of Yellow Eco. We have one for each deity, but only the royal family can get the tattoos of Light and Dark Eco."

She counted off on her fingers and said, "Raxxus is the deity of Red Eco. Then there's Brix for Blue, Garix for Green, Lyrax for Light and Drextus for Dark. They also rule over other things. There's a lot, so I'll list the body for now." Karin tapped the side of her eyes. "Yex rules over the eyes." She pointed to each part as she said it. "Raxxus, the arms. Garix rules over the core, or the internal organs. Brix rules over the legs. Lyrax rules over the head. Drextus rules over the heart."

* * *

He screamed. Pain consumed his senses. He felt nothing, heard nothing, smelled nothing but Dark Eco. The machine turned off, but he continued to scream until the pain stopped.

"There's been no change," muttered Eve.

"Surely you should have seen something by now? Organ failure, black splotches, or something! Even if it's their deaths. The Baron's getting impatient and it'll be both our necks on the line if this fails!" said Erol. His footsteps started to pace. "And how's the Ecolite girl doing?"

"That_ heathen_,"said Eve. "has also showed no signs of change."

"Double the dosage then. Do it twice a day! It's been almost a year!"

"...Understood, sir."

The restraints released him and two guards dragged back to his cell. He couldn't move, but rage burned through his body. They through him back in his cell and the door slid shut. Something finally snapped in him.

All the pain that he had felt disappeared. He looked for someone, anyone, that he could vent his rage on.

"Jak?"

He turned his head and saw a girl. She would do. He grinned and pushed himself up. The girl's eyes grew wide and she backed away. Her back hit the wall and his grin widened. She was afraid. She was afraid of HIM. He would finally take his revenge.

**On her?** asked a faint voice. **I'd take a second glance if I were you...**

Jak blinked. He saw Karin, eyes wide and terrified as she looked at him. No! He hadn't wanted to hurt her. He fell to the ground and put his head in his hands. If that voice hadn't stopped him...He felt sick. His shoulders heaved and wetness traveled down his face.

Karin's arms wrapped around him and she put her forehead against his. She sat there with him, holding him together.

* * *

_The sand was warm and stuck in his hair. Jak laid there, enjoying the warmth of the sun before sitting up. He looked around and saw nothing but a white, sandy beach empty except for the occasional palm tree that stuck out from the sand. The air tasted salty and the water was cool as it lazily lapped against his feet._

_It was just like Sandover beach. Just without the people and buildings. He leaned back on his elbows and closed his eyes._

_Footsteps walked towards him and he opened one to look at them. Daxter, Keira and Karin were walking towards him. They stopped in front of him and all shook their heads._

_"Where do you think you're going?"said Daxter, a scowl on his face. "You can't just walk into paradise without me!" He kicked the sand and started to make a picture frame around the beach. "Not a very good one either! Where's the all you can eat buffet? The bars? The BIKINIS!"_

_Karin rolled her eyes and sat down beside him. "No one will blame you if you stay, Jak." She started to write slowly in the sand. "It's beautiful here."_

W-A-K

_"Although it will be boring without you," said Keira, standing behind him with her hands on her hips._

E-U-P-J

_"Aren't you staying?" he asked, surprised. They all shook their heads._

_"No." Karin smiled, her eyes a bit sad. "Although I'll probably join you in a little while if you decide to stay." She finished writing._

A-K-N-O

_He stood up and brushed off his legs. He helped Karin up and said, "You're right Dax. There needs to be a buffet." Turning around, he saw a door leading into darkness. His friends watched him as he stepped up to the door._

_"See you on the other side!" said Daxter._

_"Take care, Jak,"said Keira._

_"May Light show you truth and Dark give you comfort,"said Karin._

_Jak gave them all a thumbs up before walking through._

**...**

**...**

**...A gift for you, Jak... **

He woke up with Karin holding him tight to her chest. Silent sobs made her body heave and her hands clutched his clothes. Tears dropped down onto his back as she buried herself in his hair.

"Jak...Please wake up..."

He pulled her away. Karin's eyes widened.

"B-but h-how? Your heart stopped...and black splotches started to cover your face." She touched his cheek. "They're gone now..."

He thought for a moment of the beach he'd been at. He had a sudden suspicion of where he had been. "I-I-don't know...I-I r-remember..." But the memory faded.

"Jak,"she whispered.

They looked at each other. A grin slowly spread across his face.

"Karin."

For an entirely different reason, Karin threw her arms around Jak.

* * *

The door slid open with a hiss. Both Karin and Jak were seized by rough hands. He fought as guards pulled him from the cell. One struck him with the but of his gun and he stopped.

"A failure?" muttered Eve as she walked him towards another cell. "Has the Baron forgot who _saved_ him during the siege?" Another door slid open and she grabbed the front of his clothes. "Now how will your little girlfriend fare?"she hissed. She shoved him in.

The door slid shut just as he regained his senses. He scrambled to the little window.

Karin, unconscious, was strapped into the chair. Eve was pacing back and forth, eyes wild and her normally neat bun was disheveled.

"Triple the dosage!" she shrieked and stopped to watch Karin writhe.

Jak pounded on the bars, but they refused to move.

* * *

Something had changed. Karin didn't know what, but the thought made her shudder. She felt...empty. Hollow. It passed after a few seconds, but something told her that this was only the beginning.

She sighed. The sound echoed through the cell, reminding her how lonely she was.

* * *

Jak groaned. Eve had quadrupled the amount of Dark Eco that was pumped into his body.

**Jak...**

That voice. He'd heard it before. The pain seemed to disappear as he sat up to examine his cell. "Show yourself!"

It laughed. ** Talking to voices is the first sign of madness, Jakkie. ****If you were mad.**

"Don't call me Jakkie. What am I then?"

The voice softened.** You're lonely. The only reason you know she's alive is because of the screams.**

"Shut up!" He clapped his hands over his ears, trying to shut it out.

**I'm not your enemy, Jakkie. No matter how hard you wish it wasn't true, you've changed. Both of you.**

He didn't answer.

* * *

"Eve, the Baron wants results. He's visiting in a week and still there's been no change! Have you increased the dosage?"said Erol as he examined Karin and Jak on separate tables. They stared at him with dulled eyes, having been drugged for the ride to the medical facility.

Eve stiffened. "I have. I've almost overloaded the machine a few times."

Erol gave her a surprised look before studying Jak and Karin. "Then there's nothing we can do. Perhaps in the week before the Baron arrives, something will happen."


	2. The Escape and the Underground

**A/N: **

**Wow, thank you guys for reviewing! *hands out muffins to all* **

**Ahahaha, I'm sorry about any errors that I made in the previous chapter. I was just so excited to post it! But I fixed them, so hopefully it makes more sense. ****And if anyone was wondering, the letters spell out "Wake up Jak, no." I'm very sorry if it was too vague.**

**And this chapter's title is _so_ imaginative. *headdesk***

**As always, I do not own Jak and Daxter, it belongs to Naughty Dog, yadda, yadda, yadda.**

* * *

Karin was forced to stand still as the Baron walked around her. His eyes traveled up and down her body, appraising a new toy that could be used in war. When he started to look at her chest, she spat on his face. Something hard connected with her skull and stars danced in front of her eyes. Hands kept her from falling forward.

"How _dare_ you sully the Baron, you-"stared Eve, but the Baron cut her off with his hand.

He glared down at Karin and narrowed his eyes, like he was trying to recall a face. Karin had met him long ago; she doubted he remembered. A bigger event was going on. But...there was one phrase that might jog his memory.

Through the pain and with the hint of a smile, she said, "The weight of Damas's sword was very balanced."

The Baron stiffened.

For a brief moment, she was eight again. She was in the palace, nervously walking up to Damas with all the city's royalty watching her. Her face had been very serious, as it had been a very serious event. The silk in her hand was soft as she knelt in front of him. She unwrapped the silk, revealing a sword that was very similar to her mother's and father's: clear and bent in an s-shape.

As he accepted the sword, she allowed herself one brief glance to the side of the room. Her parents beamed with pride as they held her younger brother's hands. Next to them was a large man gripping the shoulders of a red-headed girl, glaring at the sword and Damas with barely concealed envy.

Then she was back in the present, watching many emotions flit across his face. Her smile widened. How many political schemes had she just ruined?

Apparently, many. He turned his back on her without a word. Karin didn't even struggle as they strapped her into the chair. The Baron was speechless. That was all she could hope for. She screamed as the Light Eco tore through her body. Her head pounded and it felt like daggers were stabbing into her brain. She couldn't take the pain anymore. Everything went white.

xxx

When she next came to, she felt super-charged and her mind was clear. Cool air rustled her hair and smelled of burning eco and blood. Outside? Impossible. No one had ever escaped from the Baron's prison. But if it was true, then maybe Jak was out too...She opened her eyes and searched for him.

Instead, she saw a whirling, mad, pale beast tearing Krimson Guards apart. Its eyes were pitch-black and its fangs were bared in a savage grin. She caught a glimpse of an Ottsel sitting on its shoulder, hanging on for dear life.

Then she saw a guard, pointing his rifle at its head.

"NO!"

* * *

_A little bit earlier..._

Jak thrashed in his bondings. Finally the machine stopped.

"Dark Eco injection cycle complete. Bio-readings nominal and unchanged," rang out a metallic female voice.

"Hmph. I was informed that this one might be different!" Jak heard the Baron pause and say, "What did you do with the other one?"

"Tossed her back into her cell for the moment,"said Erol.

Precursors, he'd never loathed three people more in his whole life; his entire being was focused on destroying them, getting revenge. He moaned softly. Pain and the restraints were the only things that stopped him at the moment.

**Jakkie, I can give you power to get revenge.**

"...Warrior Projects have failed,"said Erol.

He felt himself yanked up by his hair and the Baron spat, "You should at least be dead with all the Dark Eco I've pumped into you!" The Baron dropped his head and it smacked against the metal. He heard the three continue to argue, but the only thing he could really hear was the voice.

"Without a weapon...," said Erol

**And all I ask is one thing.**

"I will not be remembered...to those vile creatures!"

"Perhaps we need more time. The Eco could-"started Eve.

"No! I've lost too much time already. Move forward with the final plan!"

**Crush my enemies without mercy. **

"You've disappointed me Eve. Prove to me that you can at least handle finishing off these 'things' tonight." The Baron's footsteps walked away.

**So Jakkie...**

"As you wish." She grabbed him and whispered in his ear. "I'll be back tonight." Her footsteps left as well.

**what do you say?**

_...Bring it on._

And then he heard a voice he hadn't heard for two years.

"Ding-ding, sixth floor. Body chains, roach food, torture devices."

_Daxter?_ He felt his friend leap onto his chest.

"Hey buddy, seen any heroes around here-Whoa! What'd they do to you?"

Jak felt very conflicted. On one hand, he was happy to know that Daxter was alive. He was also very pissed. He had been stuck in this hellhole for two years and now Daxter decided to show up. But he was in too much pain to show much of anything.

"Jak, it's me, Daxter!"

He opened his eyes to at least show that he was alive. It hurt too much to keep open long though.

"Well that's a fine hello!" Daxter started to pace up and down his body. He accidentally stepped on a sore spot, making Jak hiss and miss something that he said. "I've been looking for you for two years! Jak, say something. Just-this-once!"

Anger surged. Daxter had no right to tell him what to do. Who had been subjected to Dark Eco injections? Who had to listen for the screams of pain to know if their only friend in this place was alive? Suddenly all the pain disappeared, replaced with rage.

**Enjoy your newfound power, Jakkie.**

Daxter wanted him to speak? So be it.

His eyes shot open and he aimed all his fury at Daxter. "I'm going to kill Baron Praxis!"

"Shh! Shh!" Daxter covered his mouth. "Right now we gotta get you outta here." He walked over to his wrists. "Just let me figure out how to open the security locks for your chair so-"

Power flowed from chest outward. It felt absolutely wonderful. He took a few breaths, feeling how it tried to push towards the surface. Some part of him tried to keep it in, but it was swiftly subdued. Letting the power out with a roar, he broke his bonds. There was only one thing he thought of: revenge.

"Or, ah, you could do it."

He looked over at the voice, seeing only an orange rat cowering in fear. He stepped off the chair, stumbling like a newborn. Dark Eco crackled in the air. The smell of fear came from a rat standing near the edge of the pillar. He took steps towards the rat, eyes not leaving it.

"Jak? Easy now. Easy buddy."

The rat had been the source of all his pain. It needed to pay. He pushed the rat towards the edge. He noticed that he now had talons. Perfect.

"It's your old pal, Daxter, remember?"

He was about to strike, but the name rang a bell. Images of warm beaches, clear skies and the two of them relaxing in the moonlight flooded his mind.

"Daxter?" The power faded and his legs almost gave out. There was a hole in his stomach. He had almost killed his best friend.

"What the heck was THAT? Sheesh, remind me not to piss you off!" said Daxter.

Jak opened his mouth to apologize, but Daxter tossed some clothes at him. Examining them, he saw that Daxter had brought some clothes for Karin as well. "C'mon tall, dark and gruesome. Let's get your lady-friend and we're outta here!"

"How did you-?"

"I saw you two in a prison transport." He sniffed the air and made a face. "Oh and, put those new threads on. Your current ones hurt my sensitive nose." He turned around as Jak quickly changed. Daxter hopped on his shoulder and grimaced. "Jak, buddy old pal, don't take this the wrong way, but you need a shower."

xxx

Jak tossed the guard's body aside as the door slid open. It seemed Eve was too lazy to finish them off herself.

He knelt over Karin and hoisted her over his shoulder. She was unconscious at the moment, and he hoped that she would wake up soon. He tucked her new clothes in his pack and exited. Once she woke up, she could change.

"Where to Dax?" he asked and Daxter pointed to his left. A couple of crates were piled up just high enough to reach a maintenance shaft of some kind. He followed it and landed in a storage room. It was empty except for boxes. He wasn't complaining, but it was a bit strange.

"Where are all the guards?" he muttered. Daxter shrugged.

"Who cares? It's an easier getaway for us!"

He got his answer a few minutes later when the alarm turned on. A high-pitched siren rang through his ears and red lights flashed.

"Attention all units. There has been a break out," rang Eve's voice out over the intercom. Jak could hear the controlled panic in her voice. She had messed up big time and she knew it. "The prisoners are extremely dangerous. Do NOT allow them to escape."

Jak chuckled. He'd love to see her face at the moment. He sped up, knowing that everyone would be looking for him; he didn't have time to "admire" the architecture of the prison. Daxter pointed out the right way to go. The way was relatively guard-free, but every time he saw a couple, he paused and hid in the shadows until they passed. The sight always made his anger flare, but he did nothing. Karin was still unconscious and he doubted he could take two of them without her getting injured in the fight.

He dropped down a hole in the ground into another room of some sort filled with water. He walked on the platforms, looking for the way out.

"Ahem." Daxter pointed at a door that was 10 or so feet above him. Again, crates were neatly piled up, giving him a way to get reach it. The door slid open went he reached it and he jumped out.

Jak landed on dirt, cushioning his fall. What looked like zoomers flew in the air, driven by tired-looking people. The whole city looked tired. The buildings were old and worn down. The streets were made of dirt and any concrete that was around was cracked and uneven.

"We're out Jak! And it's all thanks to me! Just smell that fresh air!" He took a breath and nearly gagged. The air smelled of burnt eco and rotting garbage.

Jak watched as people gave him wary looks. "Hmph. So far the Baron hasn't impressed me." Just the thought of him made Jak's mood darken.

Daxter seemed to feel it as they walked. "Don't worry; we'll get that Praxis guy alright. But shouldn't we get your lady-friend to a doctor?"

Jak's anger turned to concern. He looked around for a place to set Karin down. He spotted a building that could work. Carefully, he leaned her against it and scanned the surrounding area.

Nobody gave him a second look. Every so often, he would catch a guy leering at Karin. One look at his face sent them hastily walking away. He doubted he could leave her alone and know that she would be safe. Growling with frustration, he turned around and knelt over her. He checked her pulse. It beat steadily under his fingers. He could hear her breathing. Steady and even. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hello strangers. My name is Kor. Does your friend need-?"

Jak threw the hand off and turned around. The person who had touched him was an old man wearing a blue robe and holding a cane. Behind the man, a kid with blonde hair and a pendant peered at him.

Jak grabbed the front of Kor's robes and growled, "You look like a reasonably smart man. I think you know where a doctor is." He thought he saw a flash of red in the corner of his eye. He let go of Kor.

Daxter hopped off his shoulder and said, "Ah. Sorry. He'd new to the whole conversation thing."

Kor smoothed out the wrinkles in his robes and said, "Well, my angry, desperate young friend. You should know that there is only one doctor in the Slums. Thanks to his 'majesty' Baron Praxis, the rest were called to the front lines a few years ago."

"We were just guests in the good Baron's prison," said Jak as he gestured to himself and Karin. "So excuse me if we don't know all the details about this rotten place."

"Ah, but I'm a prisoner as well." Kor made a giant sweeping motion around him. "Whether it be walls of a cell or walls of a city, we're all the Baron's prisoners." The sounds of marching feet made all of them turn towards the source. Jak stiffened as an entire platoon of Krimson Guards came around a corner.

"Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time..." Kor ushered the kid in front of him and started to walk very quickly. "I'd move on if I were you." But he was stopped as another platoon blocked him off.

"By the order of his eminence, the Grand Protector of Haven City, Baron Praxis, everyone in this section is hereby under arrest for suspicion of harboring underground and Ecolite fugitives," said the leader. He stepped forward and centered his gaze on them. "Surrender and die!"

Daxter walked towards the leader. Jak put out a hand to stop Daxter, but he was too late.

"Ah, excuse me sir," he said. "Don't you mean: surrender or DIE?"

"Not in this city," said Kor. "Protect us from these guards and I'll introduce you to someone who may help you."

One of the guards nudged the leader and pointed at Karin. "A prison uniform, sir."

Jak's eyes narrowed and he said, "You owe me, Kor."

He rushed at the guards and everything became a blur. One moment, he snapped the neck of one guard. Then he collapsed the windpipe of another. Pools of light and darkness fell from the dead guards. The darkness zoomed to him like a magnet. He knew it was Dark Eco and shuddered. In the corner of his eye, he saw the Light Eco drift towards Karin. He thought little of it. Something else was worrying him at the moment.

Little by little, a pressure started to build up in his chest. It pushed to be free, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He let it out.

"Rargh!"

Strength flooded his body. Now he had talons to tear apart his enemies. The armor that they wore was nothing. From one man to the next, he leaped, savoring the sharp smell of fear and blood. Rage and revenge clouded his mind. He would not rest until every single one was dead.

"What is that?!"

Until Eve was dead.

"Shoot it!

Until Erol was dead.

The kid watched with terrified eyes.

Until the Baron was dead.

"No!"

A sudden flash of light blinded him temporarily. He wheeled around and saw a girl break the arm of guard before snapping his neck. Glowing, white arrows wrapped around her body. They moved in a straight path, only turning at sharp angles. Her face was emotionless as she moved towards another guard and did the same thing. His pitch-black eyes locked with her light-filled ones. For the moment, he sensed that she was not his enemy. An image of them fighting back to back filled his mind. He growled his agreement.

Together they created a strategy of sorts. She stripped all the guards of their weapons, leaving them defenseless to his claws. The number of guards quickly dropped. Once the last man had fallen, he forced the eco back and saw the girl, no, Karin do the same.

"That was cool! Do it again,"said Daxter.

Jak gritted his teeth. "Something's happening to me..." It suddenly rose and he clenched his fists. "I...don't think I can control it..." He looked over at Karin, ready to shout a warning, but saw her hugging herself tight, eyes staring at the ground in front of her. Did the Light Eco threaten to escape as well?

Daxter looked between them. "Ah, are you two okay?"

He shuddered and the eco finally settled. The anger still lingered as Kor came up to them.

"Very impressive," said Kor, rubbing his chin. "What you did was very brave. This child is very important." He gestured to the kid.

Daxter scoffed and walked up to the kid. "This kid?" Daxter poked him and he covered his face. "He looks kinda...scruffy."

"You are in a restricted zone!" They all turned and saw a guard in a cruiser. Jak stepped in front of Karin, trying to hide her uniform. She adverted her eyes. The guard leaned in, but all he said was, "Move along!" before zooming off.

Kor turned back to them. "Thank you for your help, but I must get this boy to safety." He started to walk away.

"Hey! What about us?" said Daxter.

"Your friend no longer looks like she needs a doctor," said Kor. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Listen you-"began Jak but Kor held up his hand.

"Very well. There is an underground group waging war against Baron Praxis. It's leader, the Shadow, could use fighters like you." His gaze went to Karin's tattoo. "The Shadow would be very interested to see an Ecolite's abilities in action." She scowled as he started to walk off. "Go to the Slums. Find a dead-end alley near the city wall. Ask for Torn. He can help you." Remembering something, he turned back. "And find some clothes for you friend. She is a bit...conspicuous."

They all looked down at her clothes. Yes, they certainly screamed, "Prison Escapee!" to any Krimson Guard nearby.

"No problem!" said Daxter. "I brought some clothes for you toots!"

xxx

In a secluded alley-way, Karin examined her new clothes. Daxter, who she had learned was the talking Ottsel, gave her pants similar to Jak's: white and cut off at the knee. The shoes he had originally given to her were red high-heels. With much eye rolling, they swiped some brown gladiator-style sandals that were her size.

She shivered. The emerald half-shirt he had gotten her barely covered her shoulders and only came two inches above her belly-button. Lastly, she had a white bandanna that kept her hair out of her eyes.

Daxter and Jak, ever the gentleman, were turned around. She tapped Jak on the shoulder and he turned around. For a brief moment, she could still see the remnants of Dark Eco in his eyes. But it disappeared as he said, "You...uh...look good."

She ran her fingers through her hair. "Thanks." A short silence passed between them before Jak smirked and jerked his head over to a parked zoomer. Raising an eye brow, she followed him over as he sat down on it. "If we get caught with this stolen zoomer, I'm expecting you to take all the blame," she said as she sat down behind him and wrapped her arms around him.

Jak chuckled. "We won't get caught. Trust me." He studied the handle bars and finally found the ignition. The engine roared to life.

A suspicion started to nag at her. "Do you know how to drive?"

Jak looked back with a smirk. "Nah, but I'm a fast learner."

They shot off like a rocket. She expected that. She had done it as well on her first try. But what she did not expect them to continue at the speed that they had started at. In fact, they seemed to go faster. She clung to Jak, eyes screwed shut against the wind.

She squinted and _did_ see a billboard. They kept getting closer and closer to it. "Slow down!" she screeched, but it was lost in the wind. There was this thing about zoomers: they had no brakes. If you were about to run into something, you could only pray that you'd miss it if you turned. And pray she did.

Jak turned and they missed it by two inches. He slowed down as she shared a look with Daxter. The Ottel's fur was windswept and he had a death grip on Jak's shoulder. He gave a brief nod and together, they stared daggers at Jak.

"If you EVER do that again..."said Daxter

"we will take action," she said.

"and it will _not_ be pretty..."they said in unison.

xxx

They arrived at the dead-end in one piece, Jak going at a much more reasonable speed. After seeing the looks on his two friend's faces, he didn't doubt that they were serious. It was nice to know they had bonded over a near-death situation.

As they hopped off their zoomer, an angry blonde woman came up to them.

"We're looking for a guy named Torn,"he said. "Kor sent us." The blonde jerked her head at an angry looking guy that walked up to them. The guy stepped very close to Jak, sizing him up. "Uh, are you...Torn?"

"Maybe this guy's a mute, like you used to be," said Daxter. Jak rolled his eyes.

The guy, presumably Torn, stepped back a little. "New faces make me nervous." His eyes lingered on Karin's face. "Word is you're out to join the fight for the city. Surprising. Ecolites don't get out much."

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Neither would you if there were restrictions on where you could go."

"Fair enough." Torn began to circle around them. "But you know, picking the wrong side could be...unhealthy..."

"We want to see the Shadow," she said.

Torn laughed. "Not likely. If you want to join something, why don't you, your boyfriend, and you pet rat go join the circus." He turned his back on them and started to clean a curved blade.

Jak saw her jaw twitch as Daxter opened his mouth to retort.

"Listen you-"

"Heh, unless you've got the fur for a really tough task." He glanced back at Daxter. "Steal the Baron's banner from the top of the Watchtower in Dead Town and bring it back to me." He flipped the knife in the air and said, "Then maybe we'll talk."

xxx

Jak looked at the ruined city around him. Black water swallowed everything up. Very few plants grew by the waterside and those that did were grey and lifeless. Yet the area was not completely void of life. Almost immediately they were swarmed by green, amphibian enemies.

"By Drextus, I hate these things," muttered Karin as one tried to jump on her face. She dispatched it with a punch and grimaced when her hand was covered in green slime. Pools of Light and Dark Eco gathered near the bodies. As she got closer to the pools, the Light Eco was absorbed through her skin.

They finished them off and walked to the tallest building there. The Baron's banner hung limply at the top.

"I can't believe the Watchtower is still standing," said Karin as she craned her neck to stare at the banner. "but it does look like it's going to fall at any minute."

The only way over to the tower was a dilapidated bridge stretching over the black water. If the bridge did break, it would be a 30 foot drop onto whatever was hidden in the water. Daxter eyed it and said, "Ladies first."

Karin rolled her eyes, but went up to the edge of the bridge. Very slowly, she placed one foot on the bridge. A deep groaning filled the air, but the bridge did not break. She eased her way over. And although it was a small bridge, she let out a very loud sigh of relief when she was on the other side.

It looked easy enough. But as Jak placed his foot on the bridge, a loud CRACK went through the air. The ground began to crumble beneath his feet. He sprinted, trying to keep ahead of the cracks spreading through the bridge. But they did not stop once he got to the other side. No, they continued upward, forcing him and Karin to keep climbing upwards. They leaped across gaps, scrambled up ledges and used bars sticking out of the side of the tower to fling themselves ever higher.

By the time they reached the top, they were both panting.

"Why does joining an underground resistance have to be so hard?" said Daxter. He leaped off Jak's shoulder and started to walk towards the banner. "I'm pooped!"

As Karin rubbed her temples, Jak heard her mutter, "Next time, _I'll_ ride on _your_ shoulder."

Jak chuckled and followed Daxter. He pulled the banner out and placed it on the ground. Unfortunately, cracks began to spread from where the banner touched.

The ground rumbled. He and Karin jumped just before the ground fell apart beneath their feet. They landed on an awning and used it as a trampoline to launch themselves onto a wire. They zoomed down the wire and landed nimbly in front of Torn (who had apparently come to watch.) Jak smirked at Torn before checking on Daxter.

Daxter wasn't so lucky. He _did_ land on the awning, but didn't quite nail the landing on the wire. Torn, Karin and Jak all winced for him when they saw how he landed. The wire flung him into the air and he started to plummet towards the ground. Karin started to run, eyes locked on him as he flew through the air. Hands outstretched, she leaped into the air and caught him.

The Watchtower gave a final shudder before collapsing in on itself. It had survived many assaults in its lifetime; standing as a beacon of stability for hundreds of years. And in the span of ten minutes, it had been destroyed by three people.

Torn's mouth was slightly open as the pieces created waves in the water. He looked at Jak, Karin and Daxter.

"Yeah. I guess you guys are in."

* * *

**A/N: **

**Those who review shall be rewarded with cookies and _maybe_ spoilers.**


	3. First Jobs

**A/N:**

**Happy Halloween! **

**Nice to see you all after awhile! ^_^' (I blame school and Daxter being difficult...)**

**Sorry for the short chapter, but school and life...**

**I probably won't be updating for awhile. I'm going to be participating in National Novel Writing Month and that's probably going to take up all of my writing time. For those of you who don't know, National Novel Writing Month is during the month of November and you write 50,000 words in 30 days. **

**And I'm really sorry for the Damos thing. Curse my brain that thinks everything is spelled like it sounds...You should hear me trying to spell and pronounce things. It's quite laughable.**

**And AlphaHowler, thanks for the review and I'm going to do my own little spin on Light Eco. I hope you'll stick around anyways :3**

******Anyways, please read and review. It's nice to see that people actually read my story and it's motivation! *triumphant fanfare* And thank you to those who have. *hands out Reader Appreciation Cookies***

**I don't own this and yadda, yadda, lawyer stuff...**

* * *

Karin and Jak followed Torn into the headquarters of the Underground. As they walked down a small flight of stairs, they passed six pairs of bunkbeds, all empty at the moment. Defiled posters of the Baron and Erol covered the walls. She had to chuckle at one poster. It had to do with the Baron and all his inadequacies. Later, she'd find a permanent marker and add to the lovely wall of slander and libel.

He led them to the edge of the room where a table sat. Next to the table was a water pipe. Torn tossed them both communicators. "If I call, answer it. I don't care what you're doing. Answer it." To her, he also tossed her an electronic device of some sort. "I doubt anyone will bother you while you're with him, but just in case, I'd rather not have you go to the prison."

She chuckled and examined it. "Thanks, I'd rather not go back." It was a passport, giving her 'legal' access to the Slums. There was a spot where security passes could be plugged in and it was a deep purple color. The color of Dark Eco. She snorted. The Baron certainly had a sense of humor.

"Don't we get one of those thingys too?" said Daxter.

"Trust me, you don't want one," she said and tucked it away in a safe spot.

Daxter shrugged and hopped off Jak's shoulder. "Whew! Being a BIG hero sure makes you thirsty." He sauntered over to the water pipe and pulled the lever. Mouth open wide, he waited for the water.

Thick, black mud went shooting down Daxter's throat. The pipes groaned as if in pain. With a final shudder that made the pipes rattle, the mud stopped flowing. Despite how nasty that must have tasted, she smiled. She watched as he sputtered and spat out as much mud as he could. In the corner of her eyes, she saw Jak covering his mouth, trying not to laugh.

"What's wrong with the water?" said Karin.

"The Baron shut off all water to the Slums," said Torn. "He's willing to sacrifice innocent lives just to destroy the Underground." He rubbed his chin and said, "I don't know why I'm surprised anymore. I've seen his evil before, while serving in the Krimson Guard."

Her eyes widened. Seeing the tattoos on his face, it should have been obvious. In her defense, lots of people had tattoos and the Krimson Guard's weren't exactly uniform. But what had caused him to quit? Had it been Dead Town, or when the Baron was fighting for control? Or had he just grown tired of the day-to-day crimes that went unpunished?

"You were a Krimson Guard?" said Jak, eyes wide and his mouth dropped open. It seemed she wasn't the only one who was taken by surprise. "Hmph. That explains your...charming sense of humor."

Torn merely rolled his eyes. "My friend in the guard tells me the valve to turn the water back on is located outside the city at the Pumping Station."

"Outside?" she said. "How do you plan to get past the security walls? I thought the Baron upped the security after Dead Town." At least, that's what he told everyone...

"The walls?" scoffed Daxter. "What about the Metal Heads? It's not a pettin' zoo out there. Peeps be gettin' deep sixed!"

Torn ignored Daxter and waved them over to the table. "The security is the same. Head down to the large drain pipe in the north wall and follow it," he said pointing at the map. "Get to the main valve and open it." He drummed his finger on the map for a few seconds before saying, "There's also something else I need you to do. I need one of you to meet with a new informant. I'd like to send you back up, but they requested to meet alone."

"Sounds like a trap," said Jak.

"Think I don't know that?" he said giving a sideways glare towards Jak. "Unfortunately, we need all the help we can get. They want you to meet them in the Slums, here at this location." He pointed it out and then looked at the two of them. "So. Which one of you is going to meet the informant?"

It would be better if Jak went. He was better in hand-to-hand situations from what she saw with the guards, And...the informant, if it wasn't a trap, would probably trust him more than her. The city wasn't kind to her people. So she said, "I'll go to the Pumping Station. Metal Heads aren't a problem."

"And if it's a trap, I can handle it," said Jak. He had a dark look in his eyes. She couldn't see the brightness that had captivated her when they first met. They had seemed so full of life and it was one of the reasons she kept going in that horrible place. But it was gone, replaced with coldness and weariness of the world.

"Good luck. You need it. If you survive, the Slums and I will be indebted to you. If not, _maybe_ we'll have a moment of touching silence," said Torn.

As they walked out, Daxter muttered, "I'd like to give him a touching moment." but only out of earshot.

She chuckled. Daxter certainly knew when to keep his comments to himself.

"Take the zoomer. It'll make for a fast getaway if it is a trap. Meet you back here?"she asked and Jak nodded.

"Be safe," he said as he hopped on the zoomer. For a brief moment, he let his guard down. He was scared. He was the mute boy that was suddenly thrust into a prison cell.

"Don't worry," she said, giving him a smile. It seemed to work. He relaxed and started the zoomer up. She turned around and started to jog out of the alley-way.

"Hey toots!"said Daxter, suddenly by her feet. "I'm comin' with ya'!"

"Where'd you come from? Here for some quality bonding time?" she said as he hopped on her shoulder. Glancing behind to look at Jak, he suddenly seemed very interested in the controls of the zoomer.

_Is he...worried about me?_ she wondered.

Grinning, she paused to watch him roar by her. She and Daxter shared a collective wince as he almost crashed into a cruiser. He missed it by three inches. And then he was gone around a corner.

"Eh, something like that,"he said as she started off towards the Pumping Station.

* * *

Karin crouched and peered over a boulder. Daxter was sitting on her shoulder and seemed to be making binoculars out of his hands. Rolling her eyes, she counted the Metal Heads.

"Six...seven...eight...nine...Damn! There's a lot of them here!" She had quite underestimated the amount of Metals heads at the Pumping Station. At least 15 Metal Heads prowled around the beach, waiting for something to kill. As she watched some chase down a seagull and catch it, she desperately wished Torn had provided her with a weapon. The only things around her right now were her tattoo, a bunch of rocks, a palm tree smack dab in the middle of the Metal Heads and the boulder she was hiding behind. And the actual Pumping Station. It seemed so far away...

"What's the plan toots?"whispered Daxter.

_Plan? What plan?_ All she knew was that she had to get to the valve without dying.

"Nothing at the moment, but I'll think of something,"she whispered back. By Lyrax, how was she supposed to get out of this one?

A fish jumped in the water and all the Metal Heads ran towards it. They jumped in the water and paddled around, looking for it, before climbing back onto the shore. Her eyes drifted towards where the valve was. Maybe if she made a break for it? No. These were fast ones; they'd catch her in no time. Perhaps if she threw a rock and ran while they were distracted...but then on the way back she'd still have to deal with them. Her fingers drummed on the rocks and she scowled. There wasn't really any other choice; she'd have to throw the rock and run.

She picked up a medium-sized rock. To her surprise, it was a heavier than she expected. As she tossed it between her hands, a new idea began to form. She looked at the tree. It could probably hold her weight and the palm leaves would provide cover. But how was she going to heft 15 rocks up with her?

"So we're screwed?"said Daxter, interrupting her thoughts. He sat on her shoulder with his ears drooping. "I guess I'll never feel the softness of a woman," he sighed. She rolled her eyes, but gave him look over. Her eyes moved back to the tree. A couple of bushes were growing conveniently near the base. Slowly, she grinned.

"Daxter, how good are you at throwing?"

* * *

Jak drove the zoomer through the streets, face a bit red. He avoided looking Karin in the eye earlier when Daxter hopped on her shoulder, but he could still see the amused smile on her face. He shook his head to clear his mind. Focus. He needed to focus. If he ever was going to bring the Baron down, he couldn't be distracted.

He stopped in front of the warehouse that was supposed to serve as a meeting spot and killed the engine. It was a grey, ugly square building with only one door leading in. Pushing the door open, he walked in. Inside was very dark, except where the light from the door spilled in. The light revealed small stacks of wooden boxes, but no people.

Although every part of him screamed, "It's a trap!" he walked in further, stopping short of the edge of the light.

"I heard you had information for the Underground," he said to the darkness.

"I expected Torn,"said a voice from somewhere in the warehouse.

"Life's full of disappointments. I haven't got all day. What's the information you've got?"

The lights flashed on and he was temporarily blinded. "Freeze rebel!" His eyes adjusted and he saw lots of Krimson Guards aiming their guns at him.

Jak slowly put his hands in the air, but he had no intention of keeping still. Half the guards relaxed and their guns dropped. Were they really expecting him to just stand there and let them take him in? Idiots.

One guard, he assumed the leader, stepped forward. "By the order of his eminence, the Grand Protector of Haven City, Baron Praxis, you are hereby under arrest for treason." While the guard was talking, he stepped forward towards Jak. Just when the guard was close enough, he made his move. He grabbed the guard, mindful of the gun, and used him as a shield. Everyone froze.

"Alright, son. Easy now," started the guard. Anger flared up in him.

"Your buddies didn't go easy on me in prison," he snarled into the guard's ear. "I'd like to pay the favor."

The guard stiffened and turned his head slightly so he could see Jak's face. Although Jak couldn't see the guard's face, he assumed the guard recognized him. "You're-?!" started the guard. Jak grinned and pushed the guard away, just as the others started to open fire. He wheeled around and dove through the open door. He jumped onto the zoomer and started it up. Bullets streaked past him as he started off.

"Follow him!"

He glanced back and saw five red zoomers following him.

Great, now he was in a high-speed chase. Jak grinned as he spotted a corner up ahead. If they wanted a high-speed chase, they would get a high-speed chase. He gunned the gas and shot forward. He jerked the handles and winced as his back end rammed into a cruiser. There was a huge dent, but it was fine. He looked back. He was pleased to see that two zoomers weren't there. But three persistently stuck fifty feet behind him.

Adrenaline coursed through his body as everything passed by in a blur. His heart was pumping and his hands were clutching the handles bars much too tightly. But he felt strangely alive. Up ahead was an electronic billboard on top of a building. Advertising what, he couldn't say. But it did give him an idea.

Closer and closer, the billboard came to meet him. Behind him, the three Krimson Guards were coming closer. Praying to whatever would listen, he jumped off his zoomer and rolled onto the roof of the building. For a few minutes, he couldn't breathe as the wind was knocked out of him.

His zoomer crashed into the billboard and exploded, sending metal and parts flying everywhere. And then three more explosions happened soon after. The adrenaline started to ebb away and he noticed his shoulder was bleeding. He touched it and his hand came away wet.

"When did that happen?" he muttered. Did he get it when he was being shot at? Or was it from flying debris? It didn't really matter.

He pushed himself up and groaned. The rest of his body hurt like _hell_. He definitely was going to be sore tomorrow... He tested his shoulder's range of motion before wincing. It hurt, but not enough that he couldn't drive back to the Underground.

He surveyed the fiery wreckage before him. The crash twisted the metal into unnatural shapes. He looked up at the billboard and saw sparks flying out of the wiring. Torn probably was going to chew him out for that, but he didn't really care. He crouched by the edge of the building and waited for someone with a zoomer to drive by.

* * *

"Okay, Daxter. Keep out of sight. I'll drop down if you're in trouble, but hopefully that won't happen. Ready?" said Karin.

"I can't believe you talked me into this," he grumbled. "If we die, I'm going to sic Jak on you..."

She chuckled and picked up a good sized rock. Tensing, she watched the Metal Heads prowl around. Then she hurled the rock as far as she could into the surrounding water. The splash attracted all of the Metal Heads' attention. She and Daxter ran towards the tree as quietly as they could while the Metal Heads splashed around searching for the fish or the source of the splash. While Daxter dove for the bushes, she scrambled up the tree. She settled in and whispered down, "Alright. Toss me a rock, Dax."

For a few seconds, she worried if Daxter could even throw it up this high. Sure, he had said he could, but he was so _tiny_.

The bushes rustled and a rock came flying up towards her. What do you know? He really could throw. She caught it and clutched it. Now came the hard part...

She concentrated on the area around her eyes, visualizing the Yellow Eco that flowed through the ink. A tingling sensation started between her eyes and spread to the corners.

An uneasy feeling suddenly made her stomach clench and it broke her concentration. It was a...feeling of wrongness. Frowning, she watched the Metal Heads.

Her people used their tattoos as weapons. In the ink they used were trace amounts of eco. Depending on which tattoo they used, they gained different powers gifted from the deities. Raxxus granted strength, Brix granted speed, Garix granted healing, and Yex granted enhanced sight. Warning bells went off in her head when she tried to concentrate on her tattoo. If she couldn't use it, this was going to be a lot harder...Hopefully Yex would decide to help her.

"Yex, please help me hit every target..."she prayed and brought her arm back. She watched one prowl around and snapped her arm forward.

The rock flew for a few feet before squarely hitting it in the middle of the forehead. It dropped like a rock and didn't move. A few blobs of Light and Dark eco floated out of it and the Skull Gem popped out. She and the other Metal Heads stared at it for a long time. She honestly thought that they were going to be tougher than that, but she wasn't about to complain.

"Toss me up another, Daxter,"she said and caught the next one he threw at her. She gripped it and let it fly towards another. Again, she hit it squarely and watched it drop. As soon as it dropped, Daxter tossed her up another rock. Soon there were only eight left. Seven. Six...

The last one fell and she silently dropped down besides Daxter, startling him.

"Aaaaaah! Watch it!" he huffed and went out to inspect the Skull Gems. "Hey, toots, are these things valuable?"he said, holding one up.

"Used to be, but after so many died, they market was flooded with them." Karin picked one up and said, "They're still useful. They're ground up today to make armor. Maybe we could get some." She chuckled and tucked some away. "As much as I love the clothes you brought me, they're not quite...suited for fighting the Baron."

He put his hands on his hips. "Whadda mean, 'not suited?'"

Gesturing at her midriff covered in scratches from the tree branch, she raised an eyebrow. He scowled at her and picked up a Skull Gem. He brandished it around in the air like it was a sword.

"We'll get your stupid armor, but you're paying for it!"

She and Daxter gathered them up among the blobs of eco. Daxter muttered something about women and not being able to appreciate everything. Rolling her eyes, Karin also absorbed all the Light Eco.

She shuddered. A tingling sensation ran across the surface of her skin, but sucked up everything from the inside. She felt hollow, empty. This wasn't right...she wanted, no _needed_ to fill up the emptiness, otherwise it would consume her. Consume her and then what would be left? Only an empty shell.

_I'm not scared though,_ she realized. She didn't feel even the slightest apprehension to that damnable fate. In fact, she didn't feel any emotions. No satisfaction from defeating all those Metal Heads. No annoyance towards Daxter and his comments about women. Just the urge to fill the hollowness within her.

"Hey, Karin, you alright?" asked Daxter as he jumped up on her shoulder.

The empty feeling was gone. Thinking of it now, she certainly felt apprehension. She sighed with relief.

"I'm fine Daxter. Just a little caught up in my thoughts. Let's go open the valve that's caused us so much trouble."

xxx

Karin scowled when she saw the valve. It was grey except for the small ring of rust around the base. A drop of water fell from above and she looked up at the source. Another closed pipe. What kind of engineer designed this anyway?

Daxter seemed to notice the rust as well. He hopped off her shoulder and looked back at her. "Ah, the rusty valve. Allow me."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of turning a rusty valve. I took out fifteen Metal Heads using only rocks and my arms." _And divine intervention_, she added to herself. "I think I have enough upper body strength to turn a rusty valve."

Daxter ignored her and hopped on the pipe the valve was on. He gripped the pipe and pushed. The screech of metal on metal filled the air and yet the valve didn't move. He moved around a bit and pulled instead.

Karin winced at the screech the metal made. Banging her fist on the pipe, she hoped it would knock some rust loose and make it easier on Daxter.

It knocked enough rust loose that the valve sent Daxter spinning around and around. The pipe above opened and he was sucked up in it. Karin's eyes followed the screaming and banging and yelling that was Daxter. A few seconds passes before she realized that he was moving very quickly in a pipe that was a smidgen too small for him and would probably end in a closed off faucet or sewage.

"Hold on Daxter!" she called as she followed the banging noise and Daxter's cries of alarm. It ended at a faucet that was seemingly closed.

"Karin...help...help..."

She gripped the valve and, grunting, gave it a turn.

Slowly, Daxter's head popped out. She opened it further. His torso came out.

"Just a little more," she muttered and opened it all the way.

Daxter burst out in a blast of water and landed on the sand. Karin quickly shut the valve and knelt down by Daxter. His orange fur was all ruffled and he was dripping with water. She opened her mouth, but Daxter held up a hand.

"Don't say it. Don't even chuckle. Next time," He gave her a glare. "YOU turn the valve." He collapsed back into the sand.

Karin had to cover her mouth with her hand to hide the smile that started to stretch across her face. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she forced the smile back and said, "C'mon, let's go meet up with Jak."


End file.
